Scottish Executive

Community Care

Donald Gorrie (Central Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive which projects are receiving funding through the Supporting People scheme and how much funding each project has received.

Ms Margaret Curran: The Scottish Executive estimates that there are about 3,400 Supporting People schemes in Scotland, ranging from services to one person to schemes for hundreds of householders. Local authorities have put in place agreements with providers to ensure continuity of service following the end of Transitional Housing Benefit and the beginning of the new Supporting People arrangements.

  Whilst the level of funding is known on a local authority basis, project level funding information is not collected centrally. The Scottish Executive funds local authorities who commission these services from providers. The provisional grants made to local authorities by the Scottish Executive for 2003-04 amounts to £287 million. A final reconciliation will soon take place and will result in the final allocation of grant for Supporting People.

Defence

Phil Gallie (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has on how many reservists and territorial army personnel who live or are employed in Scotland are currently on active service and what effect the absence of such personnel is having on (a) public and (b) private sector services.

Mr Jim Wallace: The Scottish Executive has no functions in relation to a central register of information on reservists and territorial army personnel.

Defence

Phil Gallie (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has made to HM Treasury and the Ministry of Defence about any financial burden placed upon companies that may be adversely affected by the call up of reservists and territorial army personnel.

Mr Jim Wallace: The Scottish Executive is in regular contact with the UK Government on a wide range of issues but it has no functions in relation to a central register of information on reservists and territorial army personnel.

Defence

Phil Gallie (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many (a) doctors, (b) dentists, (c) consultants and (d) nurses have been called up for active service as reservists and territorial army personnel.

Malcolm Chisholm: As at 19 March 2003, 37 members of staff covering a number of professional categories had been called up across Scotland. The total number of staff in NHSScotland is 143,074 (119,680 whole-time equivalent).

Defence

Phil Gallie (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what arrangements it has made in respect of social support for families affected by the absence of a spouse or partner as a result of the call up of reservists and territorial army personnel where there are special care requirements.

Mr Jim Wallace: The Scottish Executive has no functions in relation to a central register of information on reservists and territorial army personnel. The Executive understands that the Ministry of Defence has its own arrangements in place.

Defence

Phil Gallie (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what the economic and social effect will be if a further Scottish regiment is disbanded.

Mr Jim Wallace: Defence is a reserved matter. The Scottish Executive understands that there are no plans to reduce the current overall strength of the army.

Defence

Phil Gallie (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has on the number of full-time armed forces personnel that were garrisoned or based in Scotland on 1 January (a) 1997, (b) 2002 and (c) 2003 and what the effect has been on the Scottish economy.

Mr Jim Wallace: Figures for UK regular forces located in Scotland take strengths as at 1 July.

  1 July 1997 - 13,890; 1 July 2002 - 13,870; figures for 1 July 2003 are not yet available. The Scottish Executive fully recognises the importance of defence employment to the Scottish economy.

Drug Courts

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what its plans are for the Glasgow Drug Court after the end of the pilot in November 2003.

Cathy Jamieson: In view of the encouraging results so far, the Glasgow Drugs Court pilot will be extended to spring 2005 and in this second phase, the court will be able to take referrals at all stages in the court process in addition to the present custody route. Referrals will also be extended to include solemn cases. The period of the independent evaluation will be extended to take account of these changes.

Enterprise

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how much foreign direct investment there has been in each of the last five years, broken down by sector and expressed also as a percentage of the total foreign direct investment into the (a) United Kingdom and (b) EU.

Mr Jim Wallace: 1. The figures for inward investment into Scotland by sector are provided in the following tables:

  

 1998-99
 Projects
 Jobs
 Investment
(£ Million)


 Chemicals/Plastics/Rubber
 13
 653
 417.4


 Electronics
 16
 3,665
 216.1


 Food and Drink
 1
 31
 1.6


 Forest Products/Paper
 0
 0
 0


 Miscellaneous Manufacturing
 11
 1,186
 32.5


 Other Activities
 2
 59
 3.4


 Services
 29
 4,641
 73.1


 Textiles
 6
 632
 17.1


 Totals
 78
 10,867
 761.2


 1999-2000
 Projects
 Jobs
 Investment
(£ Million)


 Chemicals/Plastics/Rubber
 13
 2,144
 142.4


 Electronics
 14
 5,106
 193.9


 Food and Drink
 4
 604
 8.3


 Forest Products/Paper
 0
 0
 0


 Miscellaneous Manufacturing
 15
 1,514
 61.6


 Other Activities
 8
 2,357
 120.7


 Services
 35
 7,448
 122.5


 Textiles
 2
 161
 0.7


 Totals
 91
 19,334
 650.1


 2000-01
 Projects
 Jobs
 Investment
(£ Million)


 Chemicals/Plastics/Rubber
 11
 1,322
 74.1


 Electronics
 25
 5,587
 1,496.8


 Food and Drink
 4
 447
 7.9


 Forest Products/Paper
 4
 661
 33.6


 Miscellaneous Manufacturing
 18
 1,023
 29.7


 Other Activities
 5
 66
 1.8


 Services
 35
 5,240
 119.4


 Textiles
 0
 0
 0


 Totals
 102
 14,346
 1,763.3


 2001-02
 Projects
 Jobs
 Investment
(£ Million)


 Chemicals/Plastics/Rubber
 5
 590
 37.9


 Electronics
 11
 1,182
 42.9


 Food and Drink
 1
 109
 10.0


 Forest Products/Paper
 2
 95
 2.2


 Miscellaneous Manufacturing
 6
 474
 21.3


 Other Activities
 7
 378
 16.2


 Services
 26
 3,518
 140.0


 Textiles
 1
 40
 1.7


 Totals
 59
 6,386
 272.2


 2002-03
 Projects
 Jobs
 Investment
(£ Million)


 Chemicals/Plastics/Rubber
 3
 447
 0.6


 Electronics
 7
 811
 22.9


 Food and Drink
 2
 82
 26.5


 Forest Products/Paper
 0
 0
 0


 Miscellaneous Manufacturing
 17
 3,189
 111.5


 Other Activities
 2
 1,419
 16.0


 Services
 26
 1,211
 27.7


 Textiles
 0
 0
 0


 Totals
 57
 7,159
 205.2



  2. The figures showing inward investment into Scotland as a proportion of inward investment into the UK are given in the table:

  

 Year
 Projects (%)
 Jobs (%)


 1998-99
 8.3
 6.2


 1999-2000
 9.4
 10.1


 2000-01
 8.4
 11.0


 2001-02
 7.6
 12.6


 2002-03
 6.9
 9.8



  Note:

  These figures are based on inward investment as reported to invest UK by Scottish Development International and are collated using different criteria to those applied when reporting the Scottish inward investment figures.

  3. Figures which compare inward investment attracted to the EU with inward investment attracted to Scotland are not available on a comparable basis.

Environment

Phil Gallie (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has on how the percentage fall in carbon emissions between 1990 and 2000 compares with the percentage fall in the United Kingdom as a whole.

Phil Gallie (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what the level of carbon emissions was in 1990 in Scotland and what information it has on how this compares with the United Kingdom as a whole.

Ross Finnie: The information requested is available in the publication Greenhouse Gas Inventories for England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland: 1999-2000 a copy of which has been placed in the Parliament’s Reference Centre (Bib. number 29467) and is also available on the Executive’s climate change website at www.scotland.gov.uk/climatechange .

Ferry Services

Tommy Sheridan (Glasgow) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to invest public money to facilitate new and regular ferry links from Scotland to Europe; whether any such investment is affected by European Union state aid rules, and whether it has investigated the potential boost to the tourist industry and improvements in cultural and social interaction which new ferry links would bring.

Nicol Stephen: We recognise the benefits that may result from additional ferry links to mainland Europe and we are committed under the Partnership Agreement to improving those links. Any additional services would have to be commercially viable and we could not, under European Union state aid rules, offer direct subsidy. We shall be considering all possible means of encouraging new developments, including for example the appropriate use of Freight Facilities Grant.

Forestry

Nora Radcliffe (Gordon) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of Scotland's ancient woodland is afforded Site of Specific Scientific Interest protection.

Allan Wilson: Using the Inventories of ancient, long-established and semi-natural woodland for Scotland , the percentage of Scotland’s ancient woodland afforded Site of Special Scientific Interest protection is 48%.

Health

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-1659 by Malcolm Chisholm on 19 August 2003, whether ambulatory oxygen cylinders are now available on GP prescription and, if not, when it now anticipates such cylinders being made available on prescription.

Malcolm Chisholm: GP prescribing of portable oxygen will be introduced on April 2004. The timing of its introduction is designed to ensure that an effective means of supply and distribution will be in place to meet the needs of all patients in Scotland who can benefit.

  In the meantime, a study is to be undertaken to consider the possible benefit to patients of alternative or additional methods of supply and distribution of portable oxygen. Additionally, consideration is to be given to the possible benefits of making conservation devices available on the NHS in Scotland.

Health

Mr Brian Monteith (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive from how many phone numbers there have been calls to the healthyliving line in each month since it was established.

Malcolm Chisholm: This information is not available. The healthyliving advice line is a confidential service and caller phone numbers are not recorded or tracked.

Health

Mr Brian Monteith (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many calls there have been to the healthyliving line in each month since it was established.

Malcolm Chisholm: The number of calls to the healthyliving advice line since launch have been as follows:

  Number of Calls to the Healthyliving Line from 6 January to 31 August 2003

  

 Month
 Number of Calls


 January
 11,273


 February
 3,979


 March
 3,225


 April
 395


 May
 245


 June
 375


 July
 1,027


 August
 1,840

Health

Mr Brian Monteith (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many food professionals have called the healthyliving line in each month since it was established.

Malcolm Chisholm: It is not possible to say how many health professionals have called the healthyliving line as this information is not collected as part of the routine monitoring of the line.

Health

Mr Brian Monteith (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how much the healthyliving line cost to (a) establish and (b) run on a monthly basis since inception.

Malcolm Chisholm: The cost of setting up the healthyliving line was £33,696 (£39,592.80 inc. VAT). The monthly running costs are as follows:

  Operational Costs (£) of Healthyliving Advice Line During 2003

  

 Month
 Ex. VAT (£)
 Inc. VAT (£)


 January
 54,685.43
 62,703.74


 February
 47,869.96
 55,363.66


 March
 35,574.96
 41,248.41


 April
 20,545.13
 23,940.28


 May
 24,965.55
 29,228.41


 June
 23,039.91
 26,963.38


 July
 30,324.78
 35,429.71


 August
 35,689.90
 41,666.54

Higher Education

Mr Jim Mather (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive when the University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI) will achieve full university status.

Mr Jim Mather (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what remaining constraints there are to the University of the Highlands and Islands' attainment of full university status.

Mr Jim Mather (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive who is responsible for addressing any remaining constraints to the University of the Highlands and Islands' attainment of full university status.

Mr Jim Wallace: The UHI Millennium Institute (UHIMI) was designated as a higher education institution (HEI) in April 2001. It is working to create a University of the Highlands and Islands. There is currently no body entitled to use that name. Granting of university title will require the UHIMI to meet established criteria, subject to independent assessment by the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA), followed by conferral of university title by the Privy Council.

  Full details of the criteria for taught and research degree awarding powers and university title are available from the QAA website at:

  www.qaa.ac.uk/aboutqaa/dap/dap_home.htm.

  The criteria institutions are required to fulfil in order to achieve university title are intended to ensure that the public can have confidence in the quality and standards of all institutions designated as universities. The present criteria were put in place in 1999 and currently apply UK-wide, although the UK Government is currently consulting on changes to the rules as they apply in England.

  To achieve university title, the UHIMI will first of all require to secure powers to award its own taught degrees. The UHIMI must also obtain the powers to award research degrees and meet criteria on student numbers, track record and breadth of provision, to be able to gain university title. The speed at which these powers can be granted will depend on the pace of developments within the UHIMI itself and consequently how quickly the institution is able to satisfy these criteria.

Higher Education

Mr Jim Mather (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it will take to accelerate the University of the Highlands and Islands' (UHI) attainment of full university status.

Mr Jim Wallace: The UHI Millennium Institute (UHIMI) was designated as a higher education institution (HEI) in April 2001. It is working to create the University of the Highlands and Islands. There is currently no body entitled to use that name.

  The process for UHIMI to achieve university title independently is set out in the answer given to question S2W-2837 today. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at:

  http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

  The primary responsibility for the UHIMI's development lies with the UHIMI as an autonomous HEI. However, the Executive is already helping to accelerate the progress of the UHI Millennium Institute to university title. At the Convention of the Highlands and Islands in October 2002, the Executive asked the Scottish Higher Education Funding Council to convene an expert advisory group to assist UHIMI in its planning to obtain taught degree-awarding powers. This group is due to report with its findings shortly. I look forward to receiving this report.

Holyrood Project

Margo MacDonald (Lothians) (Ind): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will clarify the advice given to Lord Fraser by the Lord Advocate regarding the legal position of witnesses giving evidence to the inquiry into the Holyrood Project.

Colin Boyd QC: I have written to Lord Fraser giving an undertaking that nothing which a witness says in the course of Lord Fraser’s investigation would be used against the witness in any subsequent criminal proceedings. This level of immunity follows the precedents in other inquiries and follows the recommendations of the Salmon Report on Tribunals of Inquiry.

  This does not preclude the possibility of an investigation by the police or issues being reported to the Procurator Fiscal for consideration of prosecution where there was sufficient other evidence to merit criminal proceedings. There is, however, no indication that the investigation will be looking at issues which involve criminality.

Livestock

Mr Rob Gibson (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the online version of the Suckler Cow Premium Scheme form was made available after the paper version had been made available and what the reasons are for its position on this matter.

Ross Finnie: The Suckler Cow Premium Scheme 2003 literature and claim form were available to download from the Scottish Executive website on 1 July 2003, the day the scheme opened. This was in advance of the packs which issued to claimants under the 2002 scheme on 4 July 2003. The interactive version of the claim form was not, however, available on SEERAD Online until 14 August 2003. This was because priority was given to the issue of balance payments under the Beef Special Premium, Suckler Cow Premium, Slaughter Premium and Extensification Payment Schemes.

Museums

Mr John Home Robertson (East Lothian) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2O-32 by Mr Frank McAveety on 27 May 2003, what progress has been made on the discussions between the National Museums of Scotland and British Airways on bringing a Concorde aircraft to the Museum of Flight at East Fortune.

Mr Frank McAveety: National Museums of Scotland are involved in on-going discussions with British Airways over the bid by the National Museums to secure a Concorde aircraft for East Fortune. British Airways have not yet announced a decision on the allocation of the retiring aircraft to museums.

NHS Staff

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2F-160 by Mr Jack McConnell on 4 September 2003, how many vacancies there were for consultant (a) radiologists and (b) radiographers in each of the last four years, broken down by NHS board.

Malcolm Chisholm: Information available from vacancy surveys conducted by ISD Scotland in each of the last four years for which there is information, respectively for consultant radiologists and for radiographers, is as follows.

  Table 1: Number of Consultant Radiologist Vacancies (Headcount), as at 30 September

  

 
 1999
 2000
 2001
 2002


 Establishment
 Vacancies
 Establishment
 Vacancies
 Establishment
 Vacancies
 Establishment
 Vacancies


 Scotland
 217
 18
 224
 19
 223
 20
 235
 25


 Argyll and Clyde
 13
 -
 13
 -
 15
 2
 15
 2


 Ayrshire and Arran
 11
 1
 12
 -
 13
 1
 15
 4


 Borders
 5
 -
 5
 -
 5
 -
 5
 1


 Dumfries and Galloway
 4
 1
 4
 -
 5
 1
 5
 1


 Fife
 12
 4
 17
 8
 12
 5
 9
 4


 Forth Valley
 9
 4
 8
 4
 6
 1
 9
 2


 Grampian
 22
 2
 22
 2
 23
 2
 22
 -


 Greater Glasgow
 47
 1
 48
 -
 50
 2
 57
 5


 Highland
 7
 -
 7
 -
 6
 -
 11
 2


 Lanarkshire
 21
 2
 23
 2
 24
 3
 21
 1


 Lothian
 40
 1
 41
 1
 41
 2
 41
 2


 Orkney
 -
 -
 -
 -
 -
 -
 -
 -


 Shetland
 -
 -
 -
 -
 -
 -
 -
 -


 Tayside
 25
 2
 24
 1
 24
 1
 25
 -


 Western Isles
 1
 -
 1
 1
 -
 -
 1
 1


 Golden Jubilee Nat Hospital
 -
 -
 -
 -
 -
 -
 -
 -



  Source: ISD M (4), ISD Scotland.

  Notes:

  1. Table 1 includes honorary appointments.

  2. Comprises clinical radiology and nuclear medicine.

  3. The vacancy figures relate to posts vacant at 31 March, irrespective of when the vacancy arose.

  Table 2: Qualified Radiographer Vacancies (Whole Time Equivalent), as at 31 March

  

 
 2000
 2001
 2002
 2003


 Establishment
 Vacancies
 Establishment
 Vacancies
 Establishment
 Vacancies
 Establishment
 Vacancies


 Scotland
 1,066.9
 26.7
 1,197.4
 50.2
 1,237.7
 69.2
 1,409.9
 137.0


 Argyll and Clyde
 82.3
 1.0
 71.5
 2.4
 82.4
 7.0
 82.9
 2.3


 Ayrshire and Arran
 71.3
 1.8
 70.3
 2.0
 71.4
 2.0
 75.1
 2.5


 Borders
 17.4
 1.0
 17.4
 -
 16.3
 1.0
 20.0
 1.0


 Dumfries and Galloway
 23.1
 1.4
 22.9
 3.5
 24.6
 2.0
 23.4
 5.0


 Fife
 53.0
 3.5
 51.8
 2.0
 49.2
 1.0
 58.3
 9.7


 Forth Valley
 46.7
 2.0
 45.8
 1.0
 48.8
 -
 52.2
 1.0


 Grampian
 123.4
 2.0
 145.4
 6.5
 140.9
 1.0
 184.3
 7.0


 Greater Glasgow
 202.2
 5.0
 306.0
 18.3
 333.2
 31.4
 396.0
 65.7


 Highland
 29.0
 1.0
 48.8
 1.5
 46.9
 0.7
 56.0
 3.6


 Lanarkshire
 95.6
 2.0
 100
 3.0
 105.3
 4.0
 114.0
 10.5


 Lothian
 204.9
 5.0
 197.7
 -
 207.4
 10.0
 225.8
 17.2


 Orkney
 2.3
 -
 3.4
 -
 2.6
 1.0
 3.9
 1.0


 Shetland
 4.0
 1.0
 6.4
 2.0
 5.0
 1.6
 5.4
 9.5


 Tayside
 106.0
 -
 103.2
 8.0
 98.1
 6.5
 96.4
 -


 Western Isles
 5.8
 -
 6.8
 -
 5.8
 -
 6.7
 -


 Golden Jubilee National Hospital
 -
 -
 -
 -
 -
 -
 9.7
 1.0



  Source: ISD (M).

  Notes:

  1. Response rate: 2000 (94%), 2001 (98%), 2002 (97%), 2003 (100%).

  2. The vacancy figures relate to posts vacant at 31 March, irrespective of when the vacancy arose.

Nursing

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps will be taken to reverse the increase in the number of student nurses discontinuing their course, as referred to in the report by the Royal College of Nursing, More Nurses, working differently: A review of the UK nursing labour market in 2002 .

Malcolm Chisholm: There are a number of reasons why student nurses leave their course, including deciding that nursing is not for them. The Scottish Executive Health Department (SEHD) is working with higher education institutions to reduce the drop-out rate to an agreed level and to strengthen student support systems. As a result, institutions are reporting improved attrition rates for each of the three-year nurse education programmes.

  We have also taken steps to address attrition by improving the financial support available to students and the Nursing and Midwifery Student Bursary has increased by 21% since 1998. In addition, the SEHD and higher education institutions are also developing proposals for distance learning and flexible access to courses to make sure that as many of our committed students as possible complete their training and go on to work in NHSScotland.

Nursing

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps will be taken to promote applications to train in learning disability, children's nursing, mental health and midwifery, as referred to in table 2.5 in the report by the Royal College of Nursing, More Nurses, working differently: A review of the UK nursing labour market in 2002 .

Malcolm Chisholm: The report More Nurses, working differently: A review of the UK nursing labour market in 2002 was published on Friday 19 September 2003 by the Royal College of Nursing. With reference to table 2.5 in the report, the recruitment to the children and midwifery categories of pre-registration nursing and midwifery education remains buoyant and applications per place exceed demand. There are fewer applications per place for the mental health and learning disabilities categories. The number of student places is determined by the needs of the NHSScotland through the Student Nurse Intake Planning process.

  The Scottish Executive is currently establishing a Mental Health Workforce Group to address the workforce implications of the major changes anticipated in mental health. This work will be key in determining future student numbers in this area and will be backed by appropriate recruitment activity.

  As a result of service redesign, closure of long-stay hospitals and the development of shared care involving social services and the voluntary sector, perceptions about the learning disability category of nursing may have been affected. The Scottish Executive, together with NHS Education for Scotland and the Scottish Consortium for Learning Disability, has been working to modernise the education and practice programmes in order to encourage recruitment to this branch of nursing.

  Additional help in areas of recruitment will be provided by Careers for Health which was launched at the NHSScotland Human Resources Conference on 16 May 2003.

  The aims of Careers for Health are to:

  raise the profile of careers in the NHS;

  act as a source of expertise on all issues relating to careers guidance and support;

  promote recruitment from a wider base enabling health boards to gain access to the widest possible range of applicants, and

  link health board personnel to key stakeholders such as Careers Scotland and Job Centre Plus.

  The Head of Learning and Careers for Health was recruited over the summer and a work programme is currently been devised. It is envisaged that a range of projects will be delivered to help address the issue of attracting individuals to careers in NHSScotland. Projects will include consideration of incentives, recruitment campaigns and retention initiatives.

Physiotherapy

Mrs Margaret Ewing (Moray) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many physiotherapists are employed in the private sector and, of these, how many also work in the NHS, broken down by NHS board area.

Malcolm Chisholm: This information is not currently held centrally by the Information and Statistics Division.

Road Accidents

Phil Gallie (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether there is any recorded evidence of accidents being attributed to the loss of vehicle control as a consequence of drive wheel contact with white line road markings.

Nicol Stephen: The Scottish Executive has no recorded evidence of any accidents on the trunk road network being attributed to the loss of vehicle control as a consequence of drive wheel contact with line road markings. This type of information is not available from the police data from which we derive our accident information.

  Accident information for local authority roads is not held centrally. Again we are not aware of any recorded evidence of accidents being attributed to this problem.

Roads

Tommy Sheridan (Glasgow) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide an assessment of existing roads which (a) require urgent upgrade and improvements and (b) would significantly benefit from upgrades and improvement and how demand for funding for such upgrade and improvement has related to available funding for each of the last four financial years.

Nicol Stephen: The condition of the trunk road network is assessed annually by manual road condition surveys. The current condition of the network is shown in table 5.5 of Scottish Transport Statistics , No. 22, 2003 Edition. The targets for the condition of the network by 2006 are shown in Objective 1, Target 2 of Building a Better Scotland: Spending Proposals 2003-2006 . Both of these publications are held in the Parliament’s Reference Centre.

  Non-trunk roads are the responsibility of the local authorities concerned, and their funding forms part of the general Local Government Finance Settlement. It is a matter for the individual authorities to decide what priority should be given to the maintenance and improvement of each road. Information on the need for urgent upgrade and improvement is not held centrally.

Roads

Phil Gallie (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what research has been undertaken into the use of plastic materials for road marking.

Nicol Stephen: The Scottish Executive does not have a record of the research that has been undertaken into the use of plastic materials for road marking. Plastic materials are currently widely used in road marking materials throughout the UK and world wide and have demonstrated good performance in visibility, durability and skid resistance.

Scottish Agricultural College

Brian Adam (Aberdeen North) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will encourage the Scottish Agricultural College (SAC) to publish volume 2 of the Deloitte & Touche Phase 3 report on the Corporate Strategy Review of the college.

Ross Finnie: I understand that volume 2 of the Phase 3 report is available on request from the SAC’s Director of Corporate Affairs.

Scottish Agricultural College

Brian Adam (Aberdeen North) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether a continuation of degree level courses at the Craibstone and Auchincruive campuses is possible under the latest proposals for restructuring of the Scottish Agricultural College (SAC).

Ross Finnie: The SAC will continue to provide degree level courses at Craibstone and Auchincruive for existing students and for new students enrolling in October 2003. In the longer term the SAC have said they plan to provide degree courses at Edinburgh.

Scottish Agricultural College

Brian Adam (Aberdeen North) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive under what circumstances it will agree to the withdrawal from education by the Scottish Agricultural College at any or all of its campuses.

Ross Finnie: I would refer you to the answer given to question S2O-424 on 18 September 2003. The Scottish Agricultural College (SAC) proposes to continue to provide sub-degree provision on a dispersed basis in Aberdeenshire and Ayrshire and in other parts of Scotland, subject to demand. In the short term, the SAC will continue to offer sub-degree provision at Craibstone and Auchincruive but in the longer term this will be provided at alternative locations in partnership with other organisations locally. I believe that the college’s plans are now moving in the right direction. It is the continued delivery of education and training locally which will be important to future students.

Transport

Tommy Sheridan (Glasgow) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-1979 by Nicol Stephen on 1 September 2003, what powers are envisaged for the National Strategic Transport Authority and whether they will include ownership or regulatory powers.

Nicol Stephen: We opened the consultation on the new transport agency and regional partnerships on Wednesday 17 September. The consultation paper Scotland’s Transport - Proposals for a New Approach to Transport in Scotland is available in the Parliament’s Reference Centre and from the Scottish Executive website.

  The consultation specifically seeks views on what powers the agency, Transport Scotland, will need.

Transport

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it will take to promote the Pass Plus scheme for novice drivers.

Nicol Stephen: The Executive welcomes Pass Plus as a scheme which enables new drivers to gain additional experience and positive driving skills that might otherwise take a long time to acquire. The scheme is administered by the Driving Standards Agency, which chairs a board that promotes the scheme throughout Great Britain.

Transport (Scotland) Act 2001

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many quality partnership schemes have been established under the Transport (Scotland) Act 2001; where such schemes have been established, and who the partners are in each scheme.

Nicol Stephen: While there are examples in many parts of Scotland of close partnership working between local transport authorities and bus operators, there are no statutory quality partnerships. Initiatives by transport authorities include bus priority lanes, new and improved bus stations, improved passenger interchanges and shelters and park and ride facilities. Initiatives in response by bus operators include increased service frequencies, improved services, increased numbers of low emission and low floor buses and improved ticketing and passenger information.

Voluntary Sector

Brian Adam (Aberdeen North) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has made any representations to Her Majesty's Government on the implications for voluntary sector employment opportunities for disabled people, including blind and partially-sighted people, of constraints caused by the three-year funding period under the Access to Work programme.

Mrs Mary Mulligan: The Scottish Executive is in regular contact with the UK Government on a wide range of reserved issues, including access to work.

  The commitment to three-year funding programmes for voluntary sector organisations is a key principle of both the Scottish and UK Government Compacts with the voluntary sector.

Voluntary Sector

Murdo Fraser (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-2142 by Ms Margaret Curran on 19 September 2003, when it anticipates that it will reach a decision on the provision of a futurebuilders programme.

Ms Margaret Curran: We are still considering this issue and I hope to make an announcement before Christmas.

Young People

Robert Brown (Glasgow) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive when it will publish its national strategy for youth services.

Euan Robson: As noted in the Partnership Agreement document, as part of our commitment to encourage the active participation of young people we will be developing a national strategy for youth work. We will be working with the statutory and voluntary sectors to develop proposals for such a strategy and have commenced preliminary discussion prior to starting main preparatory work at the turn of the year.